Electric vulcanizer



April 11., 1939. E. c. RANEY 2,154,183

ELECTRIC VULCANIZER Original Filed Feb. l, 1954 Za 5 .Z6

Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC VULGANIZER Estel C. Raney, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Banco Incorporated, a corporation of Ohio gust 25, 1937 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved electrically heated vulcanizer for use in the repair of rents, tears or openings in rubber or rubber-containing objects, for instance, motor vehicle tires,

tubes and the like.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide an improved electric vulcanizer of compact and sturdy construction, simple, rapid and economical to operate and adapted for the ready reception of tire tubes and other objects possessing varying shapes, thicknesses and other physical characteristics.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electric vulcanizer constructed in accordance with the present invention, the stationary and movable shoes of the vulcanizer being shown in their separated or open positions;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the vulcanizer, parts thereof being broken away and shown in section to disclose interior structure. In this gure, the stationary and movable shoes of the vulcanizer are disclosed in closed order and in engagement with a rubber article undergoing vulcanization.

Fig. 3 is a detail view taken through the base section of the vulcanizer and the stationary shoe supported in connection therewith, the plane of the view being indicated by the line III- III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a mount ing plate which may be employed for cooperation with the base section of the vulcanizer to permit oi its ready connection with or removal from a cooperative support.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the base section of the vulcanizer on the plane indicated by the line V-V of Fig, 2.

This invention is a division of the disclosures contained in my Patent No. 2,082,551, issued June 1, 1937.

My improved vulcanizer, as illustrated in the 4 accompanying drawing, comprises a base section i, which may consist of a pair of duplicate, reversely arranged steel stampings 2, the latter being formed to comprise vertical side walls 3 of substantially triangular coniiguration, the latter being provided along their lower edges with out-- wardly directed substantially horizontally dis posed base flanges 4 and along a portion of their upper edges with outwardly directed horizontally disposed supporting flanges 5. The rear vertical edges of the walls 3 terminate in outturned vertical iianges 6, which possess a somewhat wedgeshaped configuration, which enables the flanges E to be received, for instance, in the converging anged guides 'I of a fastening bracket 8. This plate may be secured to a vertical wall, bench or other convenient support and the vulcanizer as a whole removably connected therewith by inserting the flanges 6 of the base section I into the guides 1. The wedge shaped formation of the flanges 6 and the guides 'I results in securely retaining the vulcanizer in connection with the base plate for all practical purposes. Likewise the base plate 8 may be secured on a horizontally disposed supporting surface for association with the flanges 4 of the base section,

As shown in Fig. 5, the steel stampings 2 of the base section converge in a tapering manner toward the rear of the base section, thereby adapting the flanges 4 to the configuration of the guides I. It will be understood, however, that the attaching plate 8 may be omitted if desired, and to that end the anges 4 and B are provided with openings 9 for the reception of fastening devices such as screws or bolts, by which the base section may be directly and rigidly attached to any suitable support.

The vulcanizer is provided with a stationary shoe Il) upon which the Work to be vulcanized is adapted to be placed. This stationary shoe, as disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 particularly, comprises a rectangular horizontally disposed bottom plate Il and an inverted dished upper plate l2 provided with a flat work engaging surface E3. As shown in Fig. 1, the plates II and I2 are riveted or otherwise secured at their corners, as at I4, to the supporting flanges 5 of the side plates 2. A suitable insulating material, such as asbestos wool, indicated at I5, is disposed in the pocket formed between the dished upper plate I2 and the flat bottom plate II. However, any other suitable heat insulating material may be used in this location,

Uniting the side plates 2 of the base section I are transversely extending upper and lower shoulder pins I6 and I1 respectively, which pins in addition to the plate II serve to maintain the stamped sheet metal plates 2 in properly spaced vertical order and in rigid unitary relationship. Additionally, the pin I6 serves as a fulcrum upon which is mounted the inner end of a swinging arm I8. This arm may also be formed from a pair of duplicate blanked metal sections, the outer portions of which terminate in a slotted handle I9. A coil spring 20 has its helical convolutions situated to surround the pin I6 and the opposite ends thereof engage respectively with the under edge portion of the arm I8 and with the upper edge portion of one of the plates 2, the said spring normally serving to hold the arm IS in its open or elevated position disclosed in Fig. l.

Arranged to be positioned between the bifurcated pivotal end of the arm I8 is a movable stern 2i which has its lower end pivotally mounted on the pin Il. The upper end of the stem 2| is threaded for the reception of an internally threaded spindle nut 22, which is adapted to be manually rotated. 'I'he lower end of the nut 22, as shown in Fig. 2, is adapted for engagement with the edge surfaces 23 formed in connection with the arm I8. The surfaces 23, when the arm I8 is lowered, lie in planes substantially perpendicular to the radius of an arc of which the pin I'I forms the center so that when the spindle nut is tightened, as disclosed in Fig. 2, the movable shoe 24 of the vulcanizer, which contains the electric heating element and which is movably suspended from the intermediate portion of the arm I 8, may be forced into firm clamping engagement with, for instance, a rubber tire tube 25 to clamp the latter between the adjacent at surfaces of the stationary and movable shoes Il) and 24 respectively. The pin I1 is also surrounded by the coils of a spring 26, the normal tendency of which is to rock the stem 2| in a downward direction, as opposed to the vertical lifting action of the spring 20 of the arm I8.

By this construction, it will be seen that a rubber tire tube to be repaired may be readily placed on the upper surface of the stationary shoe with the rent or tear in the tire tube exposed to the view of the operator. The handle portion of the arm I8 is then grasped and the arm moved downwardly toward the tire tube, against the resistance of the spring 20, until the electrically heated movable shoe of the vulcanizer contacts with the upper surface of the tire tube, after the manner disclosed in Fig. 2. The nut 22 on the stem 2I is then tightened by be.- ing manually rotated so that a firm, positive, clamping pressure may be imparted to the work clamped between the stationary and movable shoes, so that the necessary degree of heat employed in vulcanizing operations of this character, may be readily applied to the work. When the vulcanizing operation is completed, the spindie nut is loosened, which allows the stem 2l to be rocked against the resistance of its spring 26 so that the spindle nut may clear the edge surfaces 23 of the arm I8. This allows the arm to respond to the influence of the spring 20, causing the elevation of said arm and the movable shoe carried thereby, thus providing for the ready removal of a tire tube, or other rubber object, from the vulcanizer.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a novel and improved electric vulcanizer for effecting quickly and economically vulcanized repair of injured or damaged rubber or rubber containing objects. While the drawing illustrates shoes particularly designed for the repair of automobile tire tubes, nevertheless it will be appreciated that it is within the range of the invention to vary the curvature of these shoes so that they may be adapted for the repair of tire casings as well as tubes. It will be noted that the vulcanizer embodies a frame by which rubber bodies may be readily clamped in a secure and rmly retained relationship between the relatively movable shoes of the ,vulcanizelg and that the developed heat will be concentrated upon articles so clamped so that it may be used effectively and economically. In making the repair, it is merely necessary to properly clean the cut or rent in the tube, place an uncured patch over the rent, insert the tube between the relatively movable shoes of the vulcanizer and then clamp the movable shoe so that it will cover the damaged region to be vulcanized. This can be done by the tightening of the spindle nut on the threaded stem.

The construction has the advantage of being simple, light in weight, and of exceptionally sturdy design so that it will readily withstand the relatively severe service to which devices of this kind are placed in actual operation.

While I have described in considerable detail the constructional features of my improved vulcanizer as it is manufactured for commercial use, nevertheless, it will be appreciated that I do not desire to be limited to such details, but reserve the right to employ all such modifications and equivalents thereof that may be said to fall fairly within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An electric vulcanizer comprising a base section, a lever pivoted at one end to said base section, said lever having a shouldered surface, a stationary shoe carried in connection with said base section, a movable shoe pivotally suspended from an intermediate portion of said lever, a stem pivotally connected at one end with said base section and having its opposite end threaded,

a nut carried by the threaded end of said stem and arranged for cooperation with said shouldered surface whereby to positively maintain said shoes in rm clamping engagement with a rubber article held therebetween, and means connected to the stem for biasing the stem toward a position in which the nut is in cooperative relation with the lever when the movable shoe is moved to cooperative relation with the stationary shoe.

2. An electric vulcanizer comprising a base section, a lever pivoted at one end to said base section, a stationary shoe carried in connection with said baseY section, a movable shoe pivotally carried by said lever, a clamping device comprising a member associated at one end with said base sec.- tion, said member having means forming a shoulder disposed adjacent its opposite end, means for adjustably moving said shoulder with respect to the base for causing said shoulder to bear against said lever intermediate the pivotal connection of the lever with the base and the pivotal connection of the lever with the shoe, and means normally tending to bias the clamping device in a position in which the shoulder is in cooperative relation with the lever when the movable shoe is moved to its cooperative position with the stationary shoe.

3. An electric vulcanizer comprising a base section, a lever pivoted at one end of said base section, a stationary shoe carried in connection with said base section, a movable shoe pivotally carried by said lever and movable by said lever to cooperative position with the stationary shoe, a clamping device comprising a member pivotally mounted on the base section and having means forming an adjustable shoulder adjacent its free end, said shoulder being adapted to bear against said lever intermediate the pivotal connection of the lever with the base and the pivotal connection of the lever with the shoe when the shoes are in cooperating position; means normally tending to bias said pivoted clamping device in a position in which the shoulder is in cooperative relation with the lever when the movab-le shoe is moved to its cooperative position With the stationary shoe.

4. An electric vulcanizer comprising a base section, a lever pivoted at one end 'of said base section, a stationary shoe carried in connection with said base section, a movable shoe pivotally carried by said lever and movable by said lever to cooperative position with the stationary shoe, a clamping device comprising a member pivotally mounted on the base section and having means forming an adjustable shoulder adjacent its free end, means for adjusting the shoulder With respect to the base said shoulder being adapted to bear against said lever intermediate the pivotal connection of the lever with the base and the pivotal connection of the lever with the shoe, when the shoes are in cooperative positionfand a spring connected to the clamping device for moving the clamping device to a position in which the shoulder is in cooperative relation with the lever When the movable shoe is moved to its cooperative position With the stationary shoe.

ESTEL C. RANEY. 

